Story and Structure, Part Two

Once, back in the ancient days, there was a poor cobbler’s son, who wanted nothing so much in all the world as to marry the baker’s daughter and live a quiet life.

Still talking about the tricks I used in creating a satisfying story on the fly. Today I want to talk about stylistic language, the Rule of Three, and story structure.

Stylistic language is just setting and keeping a tone of voice that suits the tale. One of my personal rules when I was performing as a storyteller was never start with “Once Upon a Time.” To me, that phrase is reserved for either (a) working with very small children, or (b) making fun of fairy tales and parodying them.

So at the very beginning of the story, I had to make a decision that helped set the tone of voice. And I kept a number of stock beginning phrases available to select from.

The other interesting thing in the example above is that contains a lot of compressed information. A good rule in performing is to say what you need to say and then shut up. My intro above  introduces in one sentence a setting reference (back in ancient days/fairy tale), a hero (poor cobbler’s son,) and the goal that must be met for the story to end happily (marry the baker’s daughter). 

Important side note: The goal can change if the character grows and changes. The story can end happily if he learns that the baker’s daughter is not really for him and he marries someone else. But it’s easier to simply meet the conditions set at the beginning.

So in order to hang a story on these bare bones, the hero needs to overcome an obstacle between him and his goal.

And this is where the Rule of Three comes in. Three is a measure of complexity. One is simple and unsatisfying. So he asked for her hand in marriage and she said yes. End of story. Yawn. Two is not quite enough to clearly establish a pattern. Four is more than we need.

So the hero must do three things. Or maybe one complex thing with the help of three friends or allies. Or three kindnesses he does to strangers along the way get him the three tools he needs to succeed.

Desire and Denial

So far, I've discussed conflict in terms of meeting challenges and obstacles. But there's another way to look at it: figure out what your character wants and don't give it to him. It's a nice trick because it starts with telling us something about the character, and, if you'll forgive the buzz words, it ensures the conflict will be character-driven.

Everybody wants something. From the basics of food and shelter to the more complex desires like love, respect, power, and adoration, every character has something they fiercely believe they need.

True story: I had been unemployed for months and was in danger of my unemployment payments running out when I finally got called in for a job interview. So naturally, I had a flat tire. I knew it was the interviewer's last available time slot, so I couldn't reschedule. Not enough time to call a cab, the upstairs neighbors weren't home to loan me their car, fixing the tire didn't work... Man, I wanted my shot at getting that job. And I actually did make it to the interview on time, but I had to work for it. See the dramatic tension?

It's a simple formula - don't give 'em what they want. In fact, it's a little too simple. It's fine for a very short story, but in any extended form (novel, TV series, movie franchise), it will become tiresome if the hero never gets anything he wants. It still works, however, if leavened with a little bit of success.

Take a classic romance plotline: Girl meets Boy. Boy is cute (and probably rich), but more importantly, Girl sees something in Boy that others don't -- kindness, perhaps. Boy has no idea Girl exists. Girl pines for Boy. This is stage one - she wants something she can't have. Girl works at getting Boy's attention, or is thrust into an awkward situation where they are forced to work together. Somewhere beyond the halfway point of the story, Girl gets Boy. Their love is recognized, acknowledged, and (depending on the age of the intended audience) consummated.

This is when Estranged Wife shows up. See, a single success doesn't necessarily end the story. Now Girl has to fight to keep what she wants. Or consider that maybe, having gotten it, what she thought she wanted all along wasn't what she really needed. Now we have opportunities for character growth.

And if all else fails, you can always ask -- what does my character want next?